Track-rail.



No. 888,167. PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

R. HBINBN.

rTRACK RAIL.

APPLIOATION FILED snr'r.

. l 6 1907 a SHEETS-sum1' 1.

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f2 il [Nl/ENTOR WHA/55555 No. 888,167. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. R. HEINEN.

TRACK RAIL.

APPLIGATION ULEB SEPT. a. 19o?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

// INVENTOR NO. 888,167. PATBNTBD MAY 19, 1908. R. HEINEN.

TRACK RAIL.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 6. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WJ TNESSES vRICHARD HEINEN, OF SPRINGRANCH, NEBRASKA.

TRACK-RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application led September 6, 1907. Serial No. 391,645.

To all whom'fit may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD HEINEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springranch, in the county of Clay and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track- Rails; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

My invention relates to new'and useful improvements in track rails, and my object is to provide means for securing the ends of the track rails together.

A further object is to provide means for bracing the track rails at their point of juncture and hold the same at a pre-determined distance apart and a still further object is to rovide means for bracing the outer facesof t ie rails to prevent spreading of the same.

In the accom anyin drawings which'are made a part of t is lapp ication, Figure 1 is a end of the rail is top plan view of a portion of a track way, showing my im roved form of rails in position thereon. ig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, as seen on line 3 3, 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view' on an enlarged scale, as seen on line 4--4Fig. 2. Fi 5 is a detail perspective view of one end o one of the rails. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the oppositev end of the rail. Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the opposite ends of the rail, showing a slightly modified form of construction, and, Fig. 9 is an end elevation of a brace member employed for preventing the rails from spreading.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding arts throughout the several views, 1 and 2 indicate the track rails, such as areemployed for supporting rolling stock and 3 indicates the usual form of ties employed to support the track rails, said rails being secured to the ties in any preferred manner.

In order to readily secure the meetingends of the rails ltogether and obtain a perfect union of the same, the head portion 4 of one rovided with a notch 5, which extends su stantially one-half the width of theghead and to a point adjacent the web 6 of the rail, a portion of the head 4 being left above the web to form a ledge 7, while the opposite end of the rail is provided with an extension 8, which is adapted to snugly fit the notch 5 of the next succeeding rail and it will be seen that by overlapping portions of the heads of the rails, the jar, coincident to the train assing over the joints, will be practically eliminated. A finger 9 also extends from that end of the rail containing the extension 8 and enters a channel 10 in the next succeeding rail, theffinger extending froni the iiange 11 of the rail and in alinement with the bottom face of the flan e, the channel 10 being likewise located at t e center of the flange and at the lower side thereof. l l

The meeting ends of the rails are secured together by providing a plate 12 for each side of the rail and at that end thereof containing the notch 5, said plates being )referably formed integral with the web 6 an extended beyond the end of the rail to receive the web of the next succeeding rail, the free ends of said plates being provided with longitudinally disposed registering slots 13, through which, and a bore 111` in the web of the rail between the plates, extends a locking bolt 15, said bolt being secured in position through the slots and bore by introducing a Washer 16 over the end of the bolt and securing the same thereon by means of a cotter pin 17, but, if desired, said bolt may be secured in position in any preferred manner.

The object in providing the slots in the plates 12, is to compensate for the contraetion and expansion of the rails, and it will be clearly seen that by providing the plates as shown, the one bolt will be sufficient to secure the meeting ends of the rails together and it will also be seen that the usual form of isli plates may b e dispensed with.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, instead of secur ingkbotli of the plates to one end of the rail and entering the opposite end of the next succeeding rail therebetween, one of the plates is carried by one rail and the opposite plate by the next succeeding rail, in which the same integral tlierewit the rail at this.

point is materially reinforced and, if desired, both ends of the rails may be provided withtlie extensions 8 and corresponding notches 5 to receive the same, thereby matel that by providing the plates at one end of the rially reinforcing the rails and adding rigidity thereto at their meeting ends.

In order to hold the rails from spreading,

or becoming weakened at their oint of union, I provide brace bars 18, w ich are adapted to extend below the track rails and have their ends bent inwardly and upwardly to engage the upper surface of the flanges of the rails and the vertical portions 19 thereof rest against the outer face of the web 6 and engage the lower edge of the heads 4, the vertical portions serving to brace the rails and prevent them from inclining outwardly and in order to secure the rails in engagement ,with the end portions of the bars, a keeper 2() is provided for each rail and extended over the opposite edge of the flange from that occupled by the inwardly directed portion of the bars, the keeper having a socket through the body ortion thereof, through which the bar exten s and in orderto lock the kee er into engagement-with the flange of the rai ,a

binding bolt is threaded into an opening 1n the body portion of the keeper and is adapted to engage the bar and lock the keeper'in its rail, to receive the next succeeding rail, the

usual form-of fish plates may be dispensed with and the rails secured together with but a single bolt, and that by providing the slots in the plates, longitudinal adjustment of the rails may be had, oo-incident to contraction and expansion of the metal and it will further be seen that I have provided a' very cheap and efficient means for bracing the' rails and preventing spreading of the same.

What I claim is:

A' In combination, a rail having a n otch in the head thereof at one end, said notch eX- tending approximately one-half the width ofy the head and to a point adjacent the web of the rail, said rail having a channel in the base thereof, a second rail having an extension to fit within the notch of the first named rail, a finger carried by the second named rail positioned beneath the extension thereof for entering the channel of the first named rail,

and means lfor tying the rails one to the other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence ol two subscribing witnesses.

. RICHARD HEINEN.

Witnesses:

W. H. JONES, G. E. GLEETs. 

